Nando's Peri-Peri, the South African flame-grilled chicken chain known for its spice-level menu and imported art, appears to be eyeing a second Dallas-Fort Worth location in Uptown Dallas. State licensing records point to a buildout inside the McKinney \u0026 Olive office and retail tower at 2355 Olive Street, in a shell space just over 2,000 square feet that's sat empty since 2021.
Filings with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation list the project as Nando's - Uptown under project number TABS2027002514, pegging it as an estimated $700,000 renovation of Suite 130 at 2355 Olive Street. Construction is slated to run from January 4, 2027, through April 5, 2027, according to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. As The Dallas Morning News reports, a Nando's representative declined to comment on the filing, and the newspaper notes that TDLR filing details are preliminary and subject to change.
A Prime Spot in a Class AA Tower
The shell, a little over 2,000 square feet, sits inside McKinney & Olive, a 558,000-square-foot Class AA office and retail tower with over 50,000 square feet of ground-floor retail and a one-acre outdoor piazza. The suite was once slated for Malibu Poke, which planned to open there in 2018, according to CultureMap Dallas.
Should it open, Nando's would be joining an established dining lineup at the tower that already includes Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse, Mexican Sugar, Doc B's Restaurant + Bar, and Leela's Wine Bar, FSR Magazine notes. That puts the potential newcomer in direct proximity to some of Uptown's higher-end and fast-casual dining draws alike.
Would Be Nando's Second DFW Location
If the Uptown project moves forward, it would mark Nando's second Dallas-Fort Worth location, joining its existing Addison restaurant at 5100 Belt Line Road. That Addison spot opened in December 2023 as the first Nando's in North Texas and the second in the state, per The Dallas Morning News, and features a wrap-around patio, a small bar area, and art sourced from South African artists.
Nando's expanded in North Texas with its Addison restaurant in December 2023, according to The Dallas Morning News.
Peri-Peri Roots and Corporate Growth
Nando's menu traces back to the peri-peri pepper, a close relative of the tabasco pepper that reached South Africa by way of Portugal, The Dallas Morning News notes, with customers able to choose spice levels ranging from mild or plain to extra hot. The chain's flame-grilled chicken typically comes with Portuguese rice, sweet potatoes, coleslaw and fries. Nando's directly sources 100% of its Peri-Peri chillies from over 1,400 smallholder farmers in Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Malawi, and South Africa through fixed-price purchasing commitments set before each growing season, according to KHOU.
Founded in Johannesburg in 1987 by Fernando Duarte and Robert Brozin, Nando's made its U.S. debut in Washington, D.C., in 2008. In July 2025, the Washington Business Journal reported that Nando's wants to become a national brand.
For now, the Uptown Dallas project remains tentative — tied to a preliminary state filing rather than a confirmed lease or opening date, with construction timelines subject to change until Nando's issues formal word on the McKinney & Olive space.
